Late last night I witnessed the awesome light of the full moon, whilst this morning it was still bright reflecting the sunlight, although, already due to start it’s waning. A trio of Carrion Crow and a score of Jackdaws perched in a bare Ash tree were this morning first birds. Again the calls of a Green Woodpecker, I wondered whether our paths might cross today.
There was contrast with the surfaced underfoot, in places squelchy and wet and in others crisp and firm due to the frost. A Magpie sat at top the small Copse which itself appeared half naked due to its deciduous and evergreen mix.
Within the Wares there was a good spread amongst the Herford Cattle. Some twenty nine of the thirty four were visible at some point. Two in the goat plot then a mile marker group, below light house group then a lighthouse road hugging posse. At the stone bridge moss upon the stone parapets was glazed in frost, it was at this point that my hands missed their gloves! Thick rope like stems of Old Man’s Beard snaked through the scrub. One Great Tit popped into the Pear Tree. I was startled to discover cow pats on the road to the “wrong side” of Lighthouse Rd Bridge. Fortunately, other than hoof prints there were no further signs of cattle and our electric fence-line was intact. Perhaps some-one had forgotten to close a gate at some point?
Another day of at least three large Jackdaws clans at one point merging into a group of some eighty off the coastal observation point. As I walked down the steep slope from the lighthouse to gully mouth I chose to go from the short trample resistant turf into the less slippery Tor Grass and then spongey cushions of Red Fescue! In doing so I sent a Wren up from the ground. Today a good ninety Guillemots huddled on their ledge whilst a meander linear raft of some forty sat just off shore. Rock Pipit, Herring Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gulls and a Cormorant all put in appearances. Gradually I climbed back on the slope alongside the measured mile markers. The light wind sounded far more eerie as it passed through the structures. Just before I completed my climb the Green Woodpecker sat on the short turf ahead of me. At one point it was rapidly head bobbing or rather pecking the ground no doubt in search of beetle larvae.